Necklace in the Sand
Summary: Requested by Vanity Weasel. Elli's having a bad day; Gill's having a bad day; Toby is… being Toby.
Never in Gill's life had there been such a disturbance in the Town Hall as that sunny afternoon. Shelf after shelf of important literary works and documents were strewn across the floor, overshadowed by the deep brown boards. So much dust flew up he couldn't fathom the crevices from which they came, and all but silence followed the crash. Gill felt a small twist in his chest as he inhaled deeply.
Amidst the dust clouds, a petite frame lay in the middle of the room.
If it weren't for the girl's helpless form leaning on a fallen shelf and coughing, the man may have well said something unfortunate. Gill extended a hand and asked, "Are you hurt?"
Elli moaned as things seemed to settle. She could feel a slight pain in her side, but otherwise she felt alright. "I'm just fine, thank you…" She grasped the helping hand and stood up, slowly taking in the damage she'd done. The pangs of guilt far outweighed the physical damage she'd been dealt; her milky brown eyes gazed up pitifully at Gill's before darting away. "I—I'm so sorry!"
"What happened here?" asked Gill, choosing to spare the thought of forgiving such gaucherie.
Her eyes still on the floor, Elli fiddled with the rim of her pockets, finding one side to be slightly torn. She couldn't come up with a viable excuse, though she could tell the other was in no mood for excuses. "I was clumsy, that's all… I—I'll clean this up straight away!"
Gill nodded in approval; taking responsibility for one's actions was one of the things Elli did best. He'd noticed her spacing out earlier that day, but he didn't think she'd cause something so hazardous. Lunch hour was rolling around, but by the looks of things, lunch would be put on the back burner.
The two worked tirelessly together to raise the bookshelves and put everything in their proper order. All the while, Elli seemed to stick close to the ground, and occasionally bumping into the back of his legs before scurrying away red-faced.
Three o'clock and work was done. Gill placed a hand over his rumbling stomach; it embarrassed him to have such a distasteful sound come from his body.
He glanced towards Elli, who was gasping for breath and leaning against the wall. "This should be enough for today. Be more careful from now on," he warned with a slight glare. He had his own errands to do; he turned to go downstairs where, hopefully, no one was around to disturb him.
Gill drew a chair from behind the work desk and slumped down. Maybe his tiredness made his seem, uncharacteristically, like a loach, but that afternoon's events wore him out unlike any festival could. His blue eyes gazed over his hands, slightly red with a few line indents here and there from heavy lifting. He hadn't worked this hard since….'No use dwelling on this.' He thought, catching his breath and sitting up straight in the chair. His stomach roared, but he wouldn't listen to it. All he wanted was some peace and quiet—CRACK.
Gill practically fell out of his chair. His gaze shot up towards the ceiling, where the sound came from.
A few thuds of sole against wood signaled Elli's descent down the stairs. She had a guilty expression on her face, to which Gill glared. "Elli?" His asked his voice thick with venom.
Elli flushed deep crimson, hands behind her back. "Please don't worry about it."
"What broke?" Gill asked with an eyebrow quirked.
"N—nothing."
"Elli."
Elli cringed. "I'm sorry."
With a sigh, Gill got up from the chair and directed Elli to her station. "We'll have whatever you broke fixed sometime tomorrow. For now…please get back to your job." He couldn't help the exaggerated tone in his voice, but this kind of behavior was unacceptable. He watched her reluctantly take her place behind the desk with her head hung low; he felt for one fleeting moment he should ask her what was wrong, though in the end decided not to.
Luckily for him, she'd already begun to explain her case. "I'd lost something precious. I hadn't realized it was gone until this morning, but…" She shook her head sadly.
'Hmph. Is that what all the fuss is about?' Gill kept his thoughts to himself. He couldn't see how that could make someone so destructive. The aggravation didn't lighten one bit, and his raging insides helped matters none. He decided to head out to the inn; he hadn't paid Jake and Cole a visit in a long time.
He didn't even spare Elli a second glance before setting off.
Outside, the air was crisp and the sun shone bright; it totally conflicted his mood. His roses and tulips were in top shape, as per norm. Not a petal out of place. Every time he gazed beyond his garden he was reminded of his hopes and dreams for Waffle Town to prosper. He'd spent countless hours with the flowers, and it weren't often they were paid a visit. That's why he was completely taken aback by a young and tattered youth crouching down in front of a row of pansies.
Gill couldn't forget this person even if he wanted to. That man who lazed around by the sea-side "fishing" or traipsing around town in those worn down sandals. Gill wouldn't be surprised if the man changed his underwear twice a week. "May I help you?" he asked sincerely.
For a moment, the man didn't respond, his slanted eyes seemed unfocused. His skin tanned from spending day after day in the sun, as opposed to Gill's milky white complexion. This man was Toby.
Gill's lips twitched, but he remained composed. "May I help you?"
Toby's head shot up, startling Gill. "Can I help you with something?"
Twitch. "No, you can't." Unfortunately, his stomach betrayed him.
Gill gasped at the surprisingly loud gurgling sound, immediately covering his stomach as a defense. Toby bore a smile, "If you're hungry, you can have brunch with me."
"It's past three. There's no brunch." Gill said, though he knew the point was mute.
"Really?" Toby stood up, staring at the sky as if a clock were hidden in the clouds. "I see it's 3:13pm."
Gill stared in bewilderment. He didn't think of Toby as a man skilled in the arts of forecast and the like. "That is remarkable."
"Nah, I just made that up." Toby chuckled; ignoring the heated glare shot his way. "Actually, I forget what I came here for. But if you want, you can come eat with me."
"I don't fancy fish." Gill retorted. He hadn't meant to be so bitter, but his emotions wouldn't let him bite back his thoughts.
Despite this, Toby didn't seem to mind. In fact, he seemed…pleased. "Come have lunch with me."
Gill's eyes widened with disbelief. What was with this authoritative attitude!? He opened his mouth to give a sharp reply when his stomach unleashed another powerful growl. "…Fine. Since you offered." Anything to stop that infernal noise.
Toby grinned, slinging his trusty fishing rod over his shoulder.
The harbor was not far off. Gill could already smell the salty sea air as they walked by On The Hook. Come to think of it, he hadn't been by the sea shore in ages. Rumbling waves and foam over silky white sand bore few memories for Gill. He spotted a bundle of wood; the center seemed a bit burnt, but otherwise usable. He gave an inquisitive gaze to Toby, who was digging his heels into the sand and scanning the horizon over the sea. "Don't tell me…you intend to catch…"
He did.
Roughly an hour later, three fish gutted and pierced through with sticks stood roasting over a fire. A wild cat trotted circles around them, occasionally darting back a few feet towards the harbor, no doubt enticed by the smells.
Gill was thoroughly upset. In the amount of time it took to catch a few measly fish, he could have dropped by the tavern, eaten, gone home, and be done with the world. On top of that, he had to eat fish. Off a stick. He didn't hate it but… Gill spared another glare in Toby's general direction. He'd been doing that a lot, lately.
Toby on the other hand looked all too content with his catch, and was sitting Indian style enjoying the warmth of the fire. "I guess this would count as supper? Or would you call it dinner?"
"It doesn't matter what it's called." Gill grumbled, reluctantly taking a seat on the soft sand. He'd never sat directly on the beach before….it didn't feel quite right. Though the fire did feel nice.
Toby had his arms folded. It gave him a thoughtful look, along with his ever present smile. Silence befell the two, except for the pops and crackles of the blaze.
In the past, the two had never really spoken to each other. And the few times that they did…Gill couldn't quite make out this person's character. By all rights, Toby should be labeled a lazy and aloof young man with no real purpose in life other than fishing. But then there would be times when he'd be sleeping under a maple tree with the most thoughtful expression on his face.
"A fish can only be eaten once and fully enjoyed. Yet a rod brings infinite pleasure. So said Ialu in his Field of Dreams."
Gill gave him a "Did you say something?" stare. He didn't quite know how to respond.
Wind tousled Toby's messy white hair, giving his face a gentler expression. "Do you know what he meant?"
This was one of those moments where the man confused Gill. Where on earth had that fishing guru even gotten hold of a book, much less read one? He never stepped foot into the library! Gill turned his face away, slightly ashamed that he didn't know the answer.
He wouldn't have felt as bad, had Toby not chuckled and merely poked the fish without giving any actual answer.
"I don't know what it means." He tried to elaborate. It seemed it weren't obvious enough that he didn't know.
But Toby continued poking the fish. "You'll see someday." He said simply. And just like that, he changed the subject, "You seemed upset earlier."
'I'm still upset.' Gill stared at his silver-lined wrist watch. He'd been away from the Town Hall for too long. He needed to get this thing over with. It surprised him that someone like Gill could would even be concerned about him. He figured it couldn't hurt to kill time and converse a little. "Elli, the girl who works with me…She caused us a lot of problems today."
Toby nodded, still watching the food intently.
Gill took this as a "go on" and folding his hands over his knees so he had a place to rest his chin. "She said something about losing a precious item. Honestly, I don't see how something could be so important as to make you accidentally knock over the bookshelves…I don't even know what she'd broken up there yet."
"Lost something precious?" the fisherman easily ignored Gill's whining and cut straight to the point, for once looking up from the fire. "Was it a necklace?"
Gill perked up. "I don't know." He hadn't thought to ask. Suddenly he felt like he'd done something wrong. Toby remained silently staring at his too; it made him feel even more uncomfortable. Stopping to think, he realized this wasn't the only time he'd felt awkward around Toby. During the ocean festival, while they were setting up the stands, Toby had done something completely out of his character and volunteered to help. Back then, he'd felt those strange eyes burning holes into him too. Somehow Toby seemed…oddly complex.
Suddenly a smell so foul it broke Gill's concentration wafted into the air. The stray cat from earlier made a beeline for the harbor, seemingly no longer interested in them. Deep blue eyes trained to refocus on that stoic expression on Toby's face.
"The fish. They are burnt."
Snap. The perfect word to describe Gill's temper. "I…have had enough!" That man didn't have a complex bone in his body!
Toby watched the pale man stand abruptly and storm off and stood up himself. He called out to the man, "Before you go!"
Gill whipped his head around angrily, ready to bark out "WHAT!" when a shiny pink necklace came flying his way. He barely managed to hold his hands up and catch it before it slapped him in the face. A bit startled, he looked at the piece in awe. It shone a most brilliant rosy pink, almost like pearls. "Wh-what's this?"
"Maybe that's what your assistant was looking for." Toby placed his ragged straw hat atop his head and picked the three burnt fish up from the rapidly dwindling fire stack. He seemed to be mourning the loss of his dinner.
Gill looked surprised, staring from the fisherman to the necklace and back. "I'll see." He'd almost completely forgotten that he was angry, and the hunger having dulled from time failed to remind him he should be.
The walk from Cream Beach to the Town Hall was short and eventless. When he entered the building, the room dimmed considerably. Evening was rolling in. At the desk, Elli exhibited the same gloomy aura as when he'd left her there, and it made him feel a little guilty. Gill approached her, but she didn't seem to notice him until he spoke. "Is this what you were looking for?"
Elli's poignant gaze fell upon the item in his hand before changing as fast as a storming sea. "That is..!" Her face broke into tears, "Oh! I'm so happy you found it for me! I thought I would…never find it…"
The sudden outbursts nearly knocked Gill off his feet. If he knew the thing was that precious to her….he wouldn't have been so harsh on her. Guilt beat his heart like a drum. He set the neckless down on the desk. "Actually, I didn't find it. I got this from Toby, at the beach."
"…Oh!" She seemed to recognize right away how she'd lost the item. Elli breathed a sigh of relief, taking the necklace and holding it up to her chest, "This is the last thing my fiancé gave me before he disappeared…"
GUILT.
Gill couldn't take it anymore, and turned away, face flushed. "I didn't know."
Elli wiped away her tears, a soothing smile on her face that suited her all too well. "It's alright. I'm so happy now that I didn't lose it! I'm so happy!"
He couldn't have stayed there any longer. While he was glad to see Elli bright as sunshine again, he couldn't help but feel ashamed in her presence. Now that he thought about it, if he hadn't of run into Toby on the way to the tavern, Elli may have never found her necklace. As much as he hated to admit it, he owed his thanks and apologies to Toby.
The problem was…finding…him. Gill stared in absolute awe. There before a row of blooming pansies was a tanned, silver haired man admiring the flowers like he hadn't a garden in weeks.
Gill quickly paced towards him, not quite understand his current state of mind. "What are you doing here again?"
Toby lifted his head to stare at Gill. His hat was once again hanging off his back. He gave an easy smile, "Hmm….Why did I come here?"
A sigh escaped Gill's pale lips. He'd given up on understanding this lout. "I owe you my gratitude…for finding Elli's necklace."
"It's not like I searched for it. I just found it." Toby grinned broadly, though somehow it seemed awkward. "Are you still…"
"Mad?"
Toby nodded hesitantly.
"Yes."
His shoulders drooped. The reaction was so straight-foward, it was almost comical. Toby patted the fishing rod across his shoulder several times as if to comfort himself. "Sorry about earlier," he said sincerely. "What a waste not eatin' 'em though."
Gill cocked his head, raising an eyebrow, "I hope you didn't eat them black." At the silence, Gill chose to ignore it and simply tapped his foot impatiently. "We could always go for a drink." His eyes drifted from the fisherman to the flowers. Trying to invite this man to an outing somehow felt so awkward. "For tea, perhaps?"
Toby was visibly lifted. "Let's do that then."
When Gill suggested they drink tea, he'd meant tea. Not hot water. Somehow or the other he'd gotten dragged passed the tavern and into the lair of the fisherman. Gill stared into his cup with disdain. "You re-used the tea bags, didn't you."
"Now whasha wrong wiff that?"
Gill leaned hard against his chair. Whatever it was Toby drank, it wasn't hot water. Or tea, for that matter. How unsightly.
Toby leaned his chair over to Gill and said in a sing-song voice, "Now ish late, and I's can walksh you home."
"I think not." Setting the tea cup on the table, Gill stood up from his chair. He'd never understand the craziness that was Toby. Nor would he make any future attempts. He felt embarrassed just watching Toby dancing with his chair. He hoped that wasn't how Toby danced when he was sober. "I'm going home."
"I'sh takes you."
"No, that's quite alright—ah!" Two skinny arms roped around his waist, and suddenly the smell of liquor invaded his senses. Not just that; there was the fine scent of salt. The ocean air, it felt so close. Gill couldn't move an inch; he could barely breathe. "What do you think you're doing?"
"I'sh take you."
If there were a better time to panic, Gill wouldn't know it. His heart beat raced out of control; his breath quickened; his hands felt hot. This didn't make any sense. Toby never made any sense! "Please let go of me." Gill half-pleaded. His whole body began to shake under the increasing pressure of dead weight.
Toby's chin went to rest on the other man's right shoulder. "Aren't you glad I found that necklace in the sand."
'Is he still drunk?!' He could feel that hot breath blow past his ear; it gave him shivers. He could feel his back pressed against the fisherman abdomen. It felt so warm, and secure, and frightening. His pounding heart beat rang in his ears. None of this made any sense at all. By then he could only whimper, "Let go…"
The warm breath steadied, and for a moment everything went calm.
Gill turned his head toward his right shoulder, his face meeting with a warm tanned cheek and stray silver hairs. Then it dawned on him: The fisherman had fallen asleep.
Gill nearly collapsed.
After making sure Toby was lying securely on his own bed, Gill locked the door on his way out. The sky had darkened considerably. As he walked home he wondered if Hamilton and Elli were worried at all. He certainly worried.
The End?